Taxpayers Unwittingly Contribute $33 Million to O’s Campaign

Political insider uncovers staggering facts and figures of "royal perks".

Miami FL (I-Newswire) November 1, 2012 - Republican or Democrat, your taxes are contributing to the Obama reelection campaign. $33.6 million! That is the amount US taxpayers have provided through Obama’s near-free use of Air Force One.

Robert Keith Gray has updated the math in his book, Presidential Perks Gone Royal, and, through meticulous research, was able to uncover the fact that since January l, 2012, the Obama campaign has flown one or the other of the country’s great Air Force Ones a total of 20,873.06 miles.

According to an Air Force source, flying an Air Force One costs $181,757 an hour. That number may seem like a a staggering figure--and it is! It is also shockingly accurate. To put it in perspective, consider that while the Boeing 747 you fly may have only 5 staff members serving several hundred passengers, Air Force One has 24 staff members plus 5 full-time chefs. Then there are the hanger expenses, along with maintenance, repair, and the small army of employees who chart and provide provisions for every trip—not to mention the escort and transport planes and the gulping jet fuel thirsts of that entire fleet.

But doesn't a president's campaign committee have to pay something? Indeed: they are required to pay only an embarrassing token amount of the actual charges. Those are even waived whenever the candidate-president can ferret out any political “reason” for being at his destination.

"Whatever your politics," reports Gray, "if you are a taxpayer, you are contributing to the Obama campaign."

For backup evidence see www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/president/2012) and

www.travelmath.com. We can also, on request, provide a worksheet showing the cities, dates and mileage.

The Hon. Robert Keith Gray, former CEO of the global public affairs firm Hill and Knowlton, is a political insider who enjoyed close ties to five U.S. presidents. His bio is on his website and on Wikipedia. Mr. Gray has strong, timely opinions on the upcoming election and how we can prevent this situation from continuing. He is available for and welcomes print and broadcast interviews anywhere in the country. Meantime, for more on the author and his book, please visit www.robertkeithgray.com.

Media Contact: Judy Katz
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judy@katzcreative.com